Fiction writers must be able to convey a story, convey it so readers can imagine the setting, the action, the interpersonal dynamics without the author telling them what to think. That’s the way life is, isn’t it?
We don’t explain the reason we say things or do things, at least not the many daily tasks. Big stuff like why we bought a new car, yeah, but not the small potatoes. However, a lot of life happens in the small potatoes, and the interpreting force of life energies as processed by ego or heart drives our opinions, conclusions, projections, and, ultimately, actions and reactions about everything and everyone else in life. Not always easy, especially for me, to not explain everything. It’s the way my mind works. I have a reason for doing almost everything I do on a daily basis: the way I feed the dogs, walk the dogs, get cleaned up, and most other things. Now, I’m not obsessive-compulsive, well, maybe borderline, but when I see an advantage to do something more efficiently and better, I don’t vary from it until I see a possible improvement. Also, I like philosophy and philosophical constructs, so I appreciate explanations. I get a lot out of telling rather than showing. I can hear the explanation and imagine the story. Many people don’t, especially fiction readers. They like to be shown and imagine the why and how. Hence, I become a better writer, because I believe that way is a better way to write fiction. And beyond that, it’s a better way to present oneself, especially if we have awakened to Heart, discovered core Self, and are living life Purpose. Don’t explain to everyone how great life is, how much insight we have, how wonderful we feel — show them. Let our life speak for us. Share and explain with those close, with those who understand and care, but don’t try to convince those who don’t. It’s witness versus wordiness. And so is a novel, an effective one, at least. When I write here, I do a lot of explaining, a lot of philosophical exploring, along with life experience. But this is a different type of writing. I would hope if we ever meet in person, I wouldn’t seem so intense as I might in these posts. I’m not, overtly. I am certain my friends would tell you I love to laugh, but they would tell you I’m passionate, too. And that brings me to my final thought. In The Fellowship of the Heart, Eric and Anne Lafarnge have a conflict about passion and ambition. Ambition implies a motive of greedy grasping, resulting in achieving a goal that leaves one empty. Passion connotes a motive of love, love producing unforced blessing to self and others. I need to show this, not tell it, in dialog. Not so easy for me! Heart, however, knows the difference, so maybe it won’t be that hard! Blessings!
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Questions to consider:How many times have you asked yourself or simply thought about the following questions?
Who am I, really? What is my truth? How do my actions reveal what I really feel and believe? What would I do with my life if I could do anything? What is my passion? Why am I here? How can I discover answers to any of these questions? If you have considered any of these questions, I hope that my experiences and writing will give you some guidance. Please read my blog and comment and share your thoughts. I would love to hear from you! Archives
December 2019
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